Mottled Skin

Mottled skin or dyschromia is a condition of patchy skin discoloration. These are the spots on the skin that are irregular in shape. The patches are purple or dark brown in color and they are the result of changes in the blood vessels. They usually appear on the legs and arms, but can also occur on the trunk. Among the people who have dark skin, they are less visible. These changes do not produce pain but can cause psychological distress.

Causes of Mottled Skin

The mottling of the skin is, actually, the highlighting of small blood vessels. They are located under the skin. When they are accentuated for some reason, they become more visible. Change in temperature of the body is the most common cause of this phenomenon. This is especially noticeable in people with thinner skin. Changes in the blood vessels may also be due to some disease. Cardiovascular diseases, disorders of the blood and due to age are some of the reasons for the appearance of the mottled skin. The genetics can affect the structure and the build of the blood vessels, thus the occurrence of the mottled skin can be more common in some individuals.

The Appearance of Mottled Skin

Red, purple or brown patches are the main symptom of this phenomenon.

Blood vessels lack in the distribution of the blood through the body due to vessel constriction. This causes the accumulation of the blood beneath the skin surface. So, that is why we can see the purple patches. Patients with these changes in the skin have no pain or uncomfortable feeling. If there is pain or difficulty with breathing, it is necessary to visit your doctor, because it is a possibility of some other serious illness. In that case, the mottled skin can be only the symptom of a previous disorder.

The Treatment

There are several ways to solve the problem of the mottled skin. These are laser therapy, chemical peels and also photorejuvenation. Each of these treatments acts in a certain way on the surface of the skin. None of them deal with internal causes that may be related to some diseases.

Chemical Peel

Chemical peel is a treatment that is used to eliminate the mottled spots, but this treatment can also be used for the elimination of other problems such as acne wrinkles or chronic sun damage from ultraviolet light. During the treatment, the skin chemicals are applied on the skin. It causes the peeling of the skin’s surface. Type of chemical peel depends on the type of problem that we want to get rid of. Sometimes, it can lead to skin wounds. But, the skin will regenerate by its natural healing process. The process of the skin rebuilding lasts, so you need 24 hours to two weeks to see results. In order to avoid the peeling surface of the skin, you need a detailed talk with your doctor. He has to know how sensitive your skin is, whether you have had damage from the sun or x rays. If your skin is dark, deep peeling can whiten your skin on the treated areas.

Laser Resurfacing

The laser will make your skin the same as chemical peel would, but the results are often better. Unlike chemical peels, lasers precisely remove layer after layer. There are two types of laser. One is the non-wounding type of laser and the other is wounding laser. The first stimulates the secretion of collagen and thus the skin becomes firmer. The other one peels off the surface layer of the skin and the skin regenerates itself.

Photorejuvenation

This process doesn’t harm the skin as the previous two. During the process, a strong beam of light penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin and also removes problematic irregularities. It uses pulse light to fix the mottled skin.